UNIT
by Neil Davies
Summary: UNIT officer Christine Bennet encounters something nasty on a Cornish beach. It's a good job an old friend is at hand.


8

U N I T 

By Neil Davies 2005

Chris was only halfway down the cliff path when she saw it. Lying near some dunes its dull grey metal wasn't reflecting any sunlight, and the scored flesh looked as though it had been subjected to both tremendous heat and various small impacts.

As long as a bus the vehicle (and it couldn't be anything else) was cone-shaped with the nose being rounded fins on either side. There were two larger fins further back and single dorsal fin. No markings were visible and no portholes, but she could see a door. This was obvious because it was yawning wide open, and tracks led away from it into the dunes.

With a knot of alarm in her stomach she drew her weapon at the base of the path and very slowly approached. It was standard procedure to radio in, but for some reason her RT wasn't working. A gull screamed overhead. Chris was so wired she almost shot it. Get a grip girl she told herself, if there is any danger here it isn't from the wildlife.

The odd smell hit her long before she reached the pod – which in her mind was how she classified the visitor. It was a ship but small, one maybe two people if the pilots where people. The stink made her eyes water and gritted her throat. Toxic she decided noting the escaping billow of yellow gas from the doorway.

Pulling up her mask and fitting goggles she made her way slowly forwards. Little was visible from the outside, the gas saw to that.

Did she really want to enter an alien pod alone? Knowing it to be unwise she climbed up onto the single step and eased herself within. The gas actually thinned after a few feet allowing her to see some control panels. These were bubble shaped and divided into colours, blobs of blue, purple and dark green.

Thinking them touch sensitive she extended a glove and did some preliminary taps – nothing. Okay glove off then – still nothing. Either there was no power or the panels would only react to the native species.

Turning from them she studied a large glass tank, it was actually big enough for her to climb into not that she did. In the bottom was about an inch of thick purple jam and purple stains lined the glass as if the tank had been full of this stuff at some stage.

The claw-print was a shocking sight. Twice the size of her hand the claw had three digits and all of them ended in sharp needles.

Shuddering Chris moved further into the pod, a round opening led to a space containing two bunks, a hexagon table, a star chart she didn't recognise (not Sol), and two odd brick-shaped crystals with a slightly bluish tinge. Power jumped from both of these making her flesh tingle so she didn't try to touch them with her hands, instead she took out a silicon rod. It was amazing what UNIT personnel carried around with them.

As soon as the rod made contact with the first brick there was a sharp 'crack', a flash of white light, a definite push and the rod shattered into grains of sand.

Boy it was a good job she hadn't used her flesh.

But what where these things - weapons?

There was a third compartment but this was sealed, the door was locked and Chris couldn't find anyway of opening it, brute force didn't seem a wise option so she gave up and moved back into the flight section.

The displays were different in some way, darker. Noting this without understanding it, she scooped some of the purple jelly from the tank into a sample bag before noticing some small objects pegged to the wall, cubes or dice maybe. Pulling at one she found that it came away with ease. The odd thing was that although it felt light when connected to the wall, the second it came free it trebled in weight feeling more like a lead ingot. Chris bagged this to for the science people to poke at, she was a field officer who gathered information it wasn't her job to analyse it.

Not finding anything else she could take she emerged onto the beach, her goggles were starting to film over and her oxygen tank was almost empty. The gas had also left a yellow film on her anorak and jeans, both would have to be bagged for decontamination.

Turning her attention to the tracks in the sand she opted to follow them, examining the ship was only half her job finding the occupants was the rest. The last thing she wanted was for the local population to come across them, it was UNIT'S job to contain situations and clean up the mess.

Damn her backup for being late, the weather was no excuse and neither where flat tyres they were supposed to the military. A yard from the dunes Chris saw it and to begin with she wasn't sure what it meant. Drawn in the same purple gunk it was a word and it was in English not some alien script.

Chris went cold all over, she held onto her gun tightly. Such a word could only be a warning, and as she was the only person here it could only be meant for her.

Some UNIT officers would have backed away at this point taken the cautious route and waited for help, but Christine Bennet wasn't made like that. This was her case and she would see it through. So beginning to climb the dune she passed by the word DEATH and continued on up until reaching a plateau. There another surprise awaited her, three test tubes still smeared with the remains of their contents – a green ooze that gave off a metallic odour.

Not sure why Chris thought of the ooze as medicine, although in truth it could have been anything from food to fuel. Sample bag out she carefully enveloped one of the tubes, more evidence for later if there was a later.

A sound made her crouch, gun at the ready. It had been a muffled grunt followed by an intake of breath as though someone had fallen and hurt himself.

Quickly she made her way over, keeping low so she would be a small target. Whoever it was, was rolling about and gasping, but in frustration not pain.

The nearer she got the more convinced Chris became it was a man.

But she did not reveal herself until she had eyeballed him.

A small guy in his forties wearing a sleeveless jumper, flared trousers and lace up shoes, he had thick brown hair and pixie-like face with soft blue eyes and very delicate hands.

The man had become entangled in some thick vines that had wrapped around his ankles and left arm.

When he saw her and the gun he stopped fighting.

"Assistance," he panted. "Would be appreciated."

Offering none she kept her reserve, "Who are you?"

"Someone with a shoe full of sand and failing circulation, you won't need that gun but a knife might come in handy."

Chris had a knife a very sharp one, and it took her seconds to sever the vines. Freed the man sat up removed his left shoe and evacuated its sandy contents with a sigh. Smiling a thank you he rubbed his sore arm and flexed blood-starved fingers.

Not knowing what to make of him she lowered her gun, he didn't seem like a threat nor did he appear alien. A tourist she decided, some idiot who'd gotten himself lost.

"Can I see some ID," the request was softened with a smile but firm nonetheless.

"You could," came the grunt. "If I had any."

"A name then and a home address."

"You sound like a police officer," the small man chuckled. "Only you aren't are you? If I where to guess I'd say military intelligence based on the gun and knife."

Astute she thought, not as daft as he looked. Neither confirming nor denying anything, Chris palmed her own slacks clean.

"I'd still like a name."

"Yes I'm sure you would, but don't you think that alien probe on the beach is more important. The crew where in a hurry to leave it I'd say, I wonder why that was?"

Having the best poker face in UNIT Chris didn't even react.

"This area is now an exclusion zone, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Standing up slowly the man hunted around for something, found it, cleaned it and put it on his head.

"I'd be more use to you if I stayed Christine."

Now she did react, how did he know her name?

In his left hand was a small black wallet it was her ID. How had he palmed it from her jacket without her feeling anything? Quickly she snatched it back with reddening cheeks, advantage somehow lost.

"Enough games," she barked. "I want you out of here, I'm working."

"No Chris you're looking for alien life forms, and you have just found one."

Instinct took over, enough games enough being polite with a bumbling civilian. This man had to be arrested, cuffed and processed. Even if he was lying – as seemed likely – she had to take his remark seriously.

Yet as she went to grab him he slid from her grasp, disarmed her, moved behind her, plucked the cuffs from her back pocket and slipped them into his own. Chris found herself off balance and slightly disorientated, and she realised that despite her extensive training in unarmed combat this middle-aged civvy was actually more adept at it.

Yet he didn't hurt her, he didn't hit her, as she sat down with a bump on the sand he squatted down and said.

"Relax, it's me, the Doctor."

Brain taking several moments to catch up she stared at him, the Doctor? No he couldn't be, this wasn't the man she knew, had travelled with, had saved the world alongside.

From a pocket he took something, it was a locket on a chain and inside the locket was a tiny photo.

"You gave me this as a keep sake, remember?"

A lump forming in her throat she gazed disbelievingly at the faces, her and a man with a bouffant of white curls a man in a smoking jacket and frilly shirt. Good grief if this guy had the locket then – but how?

Instead of explaining he grabbed her by the wrists and yanked her to her feet, pulling her yet further along the dune. She didn't understand until the sand where she'd been sat exploded upwards and something concealed beneath rose up with alarming speed.

Chris saw teeth, claws, eyes, green. Then the Doctor was steering her down the dune pushing her ahead of him back towards the beach and the pod.

Behind them came a snarl, a clicking noise and then the sand began to shake as massive weight was applied to it. This thing was HUGE, yet how could such a giant have fitted into the small pod?

"Keep running," The Doctor urged as she paused to fire off the question. She stole and look and soon wished she hadn't. A massive head and upper torso was moving rapidly across the dune, she made out veins, nodules and scales. Outsized claws swiped at the air, each as big as a billhook.

The Doctor pushed her towards the pod and she froze, "The air inside is toxic."

"Yes I know it is to be to," he offered her a small device that just fitted over her nose, it felt rubbery and warm and somehow alive. "Don't breathe through your mouth."

Fitting a similar filter to his own nose he stepped into the pod and Chris had no choice but to follow.

Within the small craft she couldn't feel the shaking footsteps, but she was aware of something else and didn't understand what it could be at first. Then she realised it was coming from ahead of them not behind, it was coming from the interior of the pod.

"We're not alone in here Doctor."

No his eyes said we're not are we. Turning to the door he raised something to a panel beside it that hummed and the door closed. Sealing them in.

Chris heard breathing – a sharp rasp that was neither her self nor the small man. It wasn't human.

They were sealed in but they weren't safe, another creature was here with them and if it was anything like the one outside they were dead.

The Doctor offered her, her own gun back.

"Don't use this unless there's no alternative," he said. She recalled the anti-weapon attitude of his other self, something he'd had to abandon in the face of danger.

"Based on what I saw on the dune," she began but fell silent as the breathing suddenly and inexplicably stopped. Was the alien holding its breath, why would it do that?

Come on, said the Doctor's glance and he moved to investigate.

They soon came to the rear section and the crystal bricks, one of these was missing and the sealed off area was now slightly ajar. Something had been hiding in there all the time.

"Doctor, what are these things?"

Chris waved at the crystals. "Isotronic regeneration stones, extremely rare and highly unstable if handled incorrectly."

Regeneration meant healing didn't it, restoration?

"Are these creatures ill?"

He shook his head then using a shoe he prized the back door open further.

Instantly something flew at him with such speed that he couldn't avoid it. Doctor and attacker shot past Chris and crashed to the floor locked in a fierce struggle for supremacy with the Doctor underneath unable to break free.

The thing was green coloured, chimpanzee-sized and rubbery in nature. The veined skin was dotted with fragments of crystal and these nuggets pulsated as Chris watched.

Clearly the Doctor was being strangled and she had to do something. Looking around she saw his special sonic tool, the one his other self had employed so often. Picking it up she applied it to the back of the alien thing and thumbed the activator switch.

The noise produced deafened her being a shriek of stunning proportions. The next thing she knew she was on her back some feet away utterly dazed. The Doctor was knelt over her rubbing his own neck, his facial complexion returning to normal.

"I owe you my life," he said. "Again."

He was welcome, she was just glad she could hear him. "Is it dead," she asked as he took his sonic device from her? After first checking it he met her gaze and shook his head. Sitting up she saw the thing lying in a crumpled heap still clearly breathing.

"Time to communicate I think," the Doctor judged helping her up with an old-fashioned gallantry much appreciated.

Just how they were going to talk to the heaving green mass she had no idea, but the man with her was no stranger to extraterrestrial dialogue, at least he always seemed to be able to get his point across.

Adjusting his sonic device a few ratches he waved it over the twitching form at his feet until a low hum came from the slim tube.

"Yes that should be just about right," then he spoke into its base, which she noticed contained a small grill. "Are you the chief of security aboard this pod?"

Chris had expected all kinds of gruesome voices to answer this question, a growl, a snap, a hissing diatribe even something synthetic but the very last thing she'd anticipated was a soft and slightly seductive feminine voice.

"I have failed," came the mournful sigh and it was hard not to feel some pity.

"You were unlucky I think." Charitable as always the Doctor kept all trace of malice from his tone. Chris was impressed considering that this female had almost strangled him to death, and doubted if she would be so magnanimous.

"I must undo my failure," the alien voice announced.

"Perhaps we can help," the Doctor offered.

"The renegade is free and I cannot leave the confines of the ship," said the female.

"No but we can, all we require is the means to neutralise this renegade."

Silence greeted this request and Chris wondered if the alien had either lost interest or just given up? Then a slot in the wall behind her opened and a tray extended, upon this lay a bag of clear gel and some kind of spray gun attachment.

Picking this up she handed it to the Doctor, who examined both gun and bag.

"What will this do exactly," he enquired?

"Sedate the prisoner and reduce him to a more manageable form," the voice answered.

"He won't be harmed," this seemed important to the Doctor and Chris couldn't understand why? Did it matter if the horror outside got hurt? Would it be so squeamish in its treatment of them?

"The compound is not toxic," said the female.

Chris had some questions of her own like who was the renegade, where was he being taken, what had he done and who the hell was this female – a cop, a soldier, a court appointed official?

But the Doctor waved her to follow him and said softly, "One thing is clear we can't allow the large, hostile alien outside to remain on earth – agreed?"

Well no she supposed, that wouldn't be a good idea.

Continuing the time lord added, "The best thing would be to return it here and get this pod back on the move."

"Okay that's fine, but who is the renegade and who is that female?"

"Based on the technology I've a fairly good idea, but now isn't the time for details just trust me Chris as you did once before."

They where at the outer airlock and he was about to open it, once he did the huge hulk outside would surely spring at them. He threw her a look _are you ready?_

She frowned back _as I'll ever be._

The airlock hissed open and she steeled herself.

There was no violent attack, no snapping of jaws or reaching talons. The beach appeared to be deserted with no monster lying in wait. Taking a deep breath the Doctor popped his head outside experimentally. Rather you than me she thought. The head was not removed from its neck so he risked an arm and then a leg soon all of him was stood outside on the sand.

Looking around he gave a shrug and erected a thumb, all clear. Joining him Chris turned to the dune, the monster she had seen couldn't have just lost interest could it?

"Doctor this renegade would it be able to adapt to life on earth?"

"I think it's safe to assume he already has, the pod didn't crash here by accident. The planet was selected as a suitable safe haven."

"I should contact the Brigadier and have this entire area quarantined," she announced.

"There isn't time for that, and even if there was it might not work." The alien spray gun was hoisted. "This is our best bet."

"Okay but is this thing going to get any bigger?"

"Yes, quite a bit."

"Can it reproduce?"

His face was unsure then he was moving away from her towards the cliff path she'd come down originally. Jogging to catch up she marvelled at the speed his short legs could move at, like his other self he seemed to have remarkable stamina and could also be evasive. He wasn't telling her everything, of that she was sure. Maybe he was protecting her, if so she didn't need the consideration.

She had faced hostile aliens before!

Several yards up the path he came to halt, spun around and looked in the opposite direction the insecurity was back in his eyes.

"I just hope I'm not being overconfident about all this."

Well that was a first, she'd never heard him verbalise his inner doubts before.

"You mean we might be heading in the wrong direction?"

"No I mean our opponent may be smarter and better prepared."

Possibly but he was a stranger on an unfamiliar world, they had the advantage of local knowledge plus she could call on an entire regiment of armed soldiers.

"We have that," Chris indicated the gel.

"Yes but what does the Araag have I wonder?"

Blinking at the unfamiliar word, Chris chose not to challenge it. "This Araag was a prisoner aboard the pod, right? So how did he break free and steer it off course without his warder stopping him?"

Any answer the Doctor might have given was forestalled by the eruption of the sand to their right, as the cliff face literally exploded out at them in a blinding wall. Chris was punched backwards and began to fall. She didn't have far to fall and the landing would be soft, but her training took over anyway. Before joining UNIT she'd been a marine commando, she'd been fit then and still was. Flipping her body into a spin she made sure she landed on her boots.

With sand in her hair, eyes and mouth she couldn't do much least of all fire her gun. But she could drop onto her hands and belly to make her self a smaller target.

By the time she was able to see there was precious little on offer.

The Doctor had vanished, possibly buried under the newly created mound of sand, shale and clay.

The alien attacker wasn't visible either although he couldn't be far away. The spray gun had to be her immediate priority, it was the only weapon of value or so she'd been told and the Doctor had been holding it last.

Sure she was safe Chris got up and headed for the new mound, she was four meters from it when the top burst upwards and a repulsively hostile and toothy head appeared, every single one of the eight eyes boiling from the skull fixed on her.

Assuming a combat stance she took aim and fired, using half her clip.

She didn't waste the other half, as there wasn't little point. The bullets spent so far had had zero effect, there wasn't a mark on the alien not so much as a scratch. So Chris turned and ran, she bolted back towards the pod. It was in her view reachable – just about. Able to run as well as she fell and fought she made for the airlock.

She almost made it, almost. Something huge, leathery and taloned closed around her midsection to lift her off the sand and high into the air, turning her horizontal and sweeping her back towards a mouth from hell, a mouth a shark would have been proud of only this was bigger than anything the average shark had, bigger and nastier with its serrated fangs that dripped with some acrid substance she just knew to be a corrosive acid.

Twisting her body as much as she could and kicking fiercely she attempted to wriggle free but it was hopeless, the thing was just too strong and shy of the jaws it held her suspended upside down and gave her a shake, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Chris wasn't a screamer by nature, she just didn't get hysterical but on this occasion she did shout one word several times, a name, the Doctor!

Where was he, was he dead?

If he was then so was she.

Something popped up out of the sand meters below, it was the spray gun held by a small hand and the hand was trembling slightly as if its owner was quite weak. The hand rose up on an arm and shook again.

Chris understood, and reaching down with both hands she clawed at the weapon.

Sadly the creature had seen it to and lifted her beyond its reach.

Giving a groan of dismay the UNIT officer felt a hot breath of her face. So close she thought, just not close enough. If only she'd been able to grab the spray gun, she was close enough to make it work.

A hat erupted from the sand below followed by a head and upper torso. The Doctor spat sand from his mouth and blinked it from his eyes. He looked a bit dazed but physically unhurt, it was certainly a morale booster to see him at least for her it was. The alien was less enamoured and spat a stream of hissing, toxic saliva at the time lord.

Before ducking back to safety he hurled the weapon with a cry of, "Don't miss."

The acid scorched only sand and turned it tar coloured.

Chris extended both hands never had she needed her catching skills more than at that moment.

She was flipped upright and the gargantuan mouth smiled at her it actually smirked it triumph. With its free claw the monster snatched the spray gun out of the air and held it tightly.

Nice try the smirk said but you're just not good enough.

No, she thought I'm not this just isn't my day and inwardly she prepared herself for death.

Reappearing the Doctor spat more sand from his mouth, in his left hand he had something long and shinny and Chris didn't recognise it at first. Nor did the alien – that is until the hatpin jabbed into its exposed flank painfully.

Giving a savage roar the creature reared upright, every muscle clenching including the ones controlling its free hand, which tightened on the spray gun so much that the gel bag burst. With a splat it ruptured and its contents wetted the vast palm being absorbed through pores almost instantly.

Chris was tumbling towards the sand before she knew it and once again had to rely upon her marine commando training to avoid a rocky landing. Even so she was slightly winded by the drop and lay on her back fighting for air. She was still gulping when the Doctor walked over inspecting his lucky hatpin.

"Do you know Chris," he said with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "That some people have accused me of being low-tech."

Me amongst them she thought as a smile slowly spread across her face.


End file.
